A quick taste of Tunisia

When I went to grammar school in England, many years ago now, students were divided into four "houses" - Rome, Athens, Troy and Carthage, representing the great ancient civilisations. 

Carthage is now a suburb of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, so when we sailed into Tunis's port of La Goullete on the MSC Preziosa, I felt compelled to take a shore excursioion, even though I generally hate beng herded on and off buses with dull-witted folk unable to remember if they are on vehicle eight, or nine.

Our four-hour tour took in the "typical fishing village" of Sidi Bou Said (pictured below), pretty with its traditional blue and white-painted buildings but awash with persistent sellers of ceramics, rugs, leather goods and various nicknacks of dubious quality.  

 

These dudes don't like taking no for an answer - and they are all blokes. Even in the local coffee shops the women are noticeable by their absence. Best tactic against hard sell: either a Campo shuffle or a Colin Meads charge. 

The archaeological ruins of Carthage, often abutting modern residential developments, are, however, fascinating. The remans date back to the 6th century BC and it was from here that Hannibal crossed the Alps to take on the Romans. The ancient baths and amphitheatre are well worth exploring. 

It's worth noting that the city of Tunis itself is around 20km from the port of La Goullete, where cruise ships dock. With time limited, you may well have to choose between the Medina quarter and shopping, or taking in some history.  

A road less travelled

When the MSC Preziosa docked in the neat little Sicilian port of Messina most of those on board opted for excursions to either Etna or the pretty, but touristy, hilltop village of Toarmina. 

I decided to take a road less travelled and headed, instead, for the local railway station. 

A paltry €7.90 bought me a return ticket to Giardini Naxos, a cute little fishing village and seaside resort some 48 kilometers down the coast line to Catania. The journey took 35 minutes out and around an hour back and it was a delight to be in a small town that clearly marches to a slow food beat. 

Founded in 734 BC, this sleepy spot apparently comes alive in July and August.

Now, small fishing boats line the shore, a mix of rocks and dark sand, and while there are a couple of rather grand hotels, most of the accommodation appeared to be bed and breakfasts. Many of the cosy eateries specialised in local swordfish.  

This picture postcard perfect Mediterranean town is the kind of place where you could easily spend a somnambulant few days. Alas, I only had a couple of hours but I can recommend the excellent espresso at the station cafe. The chilled white wine when I reboarded the Preziosa wasn't bad either.  

Napoli: well worth avoiding

The first time I visited Naples, maybe a quarter of a century ago, I was underwhelmed by its charms.

My most recent visit served only to reinforce those youthful impressions. I have now added la not-so-bella Napoli to a list that also includes Rio de Janeiro, Tel Aviv and Bloemfontein - all cities to which I am content to never return.

A lot of people describe Naples as a city of character. They clearly confuse character with decay.

It's a grubby place. Garbage is left out on the sidewalks and the historic old quarter has an unmistakeable stench of neglect. Many of the cars appear go have been recent entries in a demolition derby while the arrival of a cruise ship at the wharf guarantees a healthy turnout of spivs and beggars.

Don't get me wrong. I love Italy. Florence and Milan are among my favourite cities and I adore Tuscan treasures like Siena and Lucca. Napoli's old quarter, however, is down at heel and the city is, somewhat belatedly, I would argue, a building site with both the Piazza Garibaldi and Piazza Municipio both turned into construction areas.

The only advert on a tram I caught was a multilingual one warning of pickpockets.

To be fair to Napoli it does good pizza and has a decent football team. It's worth taking a drive, or bus ride, through waterfront Mergellina and up through Posillipo to take in some spectacular views of the Bay of Naples (below).

If you arrive on a cruise ship like the MSC Preziosa, a most enjoyable experience, then Naples is the gateway to such undisputed treasures as Pompei, the isle of Capri, Vesuvius, Sorrento and Casserta.

I would humbly suggest an excursion to one of them and a minimal amount of time in this sprawling city and its crazy drivers. Or alternatively enjoying the luxury of an almost deserted cruise liner.

Luxury new cruise ship launches

This is the MSC Preziosa, the brand-new cruise ship which was officially christened in Genoa on March 23. I was lucky enough to be on board for the inaugural cruise. 

The launch, by Sophia Loren, marks MSC Cruises becoming the third-largest cruise line in the world - a remarkable achievement for a family-owned company that is now ranked only behind Carnival Cruises and Royal Caribbean with an annual capacity of 1.45 million guests across its 12 ships.

MSC only launched its first ship in 1997 and the new Preziosa is the fourth member of the cruise line’s ever-expanding Fantasia class.

MSC Cruises has has over 50 per cent of its capacity in the Mediterranean, 14 per cent in South America, 12.5 percent in Northern Europe, and the remainder in Africa, the Caribbean, Canary Islands and Red Sea.

The Preziosa's inaugural voyage takes it to Naples, Messina, the Tunisian coast, Barcelona and Marseille. 

All of which should prove very interesting for yours truly, who last time he cruised became violently seasick and went down with a urinary infection that confined him to bed.

I aim to make sure I enjoy this cruise a lot more - and the initial signs are good. The Preziosa is more like a floating five-star resort than some of the cruising RSLs we see in Australia. The food over the first 24 hours has been good; the service impressive; the wi-fi works and there is an on-board wine bar. So far, so good.

Stay tuned as I discover the Preziosa - its many restaurants and activities - and the ports its docks at.

For bookings and details of introductory offers on the MSC Preziosa see www.msccruises.com.au.

A little slice of France

Montreal is a little slice of France in go-ahead North America. It's Canada’s second-largest city and the biggest in the French-speaking province of Quebec. It has close to 3.6 million people in the metropolitan area and is the second-largest French-speaking city in the world after Paris. It’s a stunning mélange of the old and the new; the lively and the laidback.

As you’d expect, it has a French ambience – and a sensational range of eating and drinking experiences; from the traditional deli food at Schwartz’s – check out the massive smoked meat sandwiches – to the hip seafood eatery Kitchen Gallery Poisson in Old Montreal. 

Don’t miss tasting the best of the local produce at the Jean-Talon markets each day (see bottom pic) and pop into the funky Pullman for tapas and to taste wines from around the world. St-Catherine Street, Montreal’s main shopping area, is 15km long and boasts 1200 stores.

Montreal is an island city at the confluence of the St Lawrence and Ottawa rivers. It boasts  green spaces and festivals like the Montreal International Jazz Festival and Just For Laughs, the world’s largest comedy festival. 

It was once known as the “city of a hundred bell towers” and is renowned for its churches along with its museums, theatres and concert halls and historic districts like the lively Old Port. The Pointe-A-Calliere is a fascinating museum of archeology and history and the spectacularly named Mary Queen of the World Cathedral another “don’t miss”.

The venue of the 1976 Olympic Games, Montreal hosts the annual Canadian Formula One Grand Prix, a NASCAR race and is home to the beloved by the locals Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team, the most successful in North America with a record 24 Stanley Cup triumphs.

My digs were at the very chic Hotel Le Germain, one of a small chain of boutique hotels that’s making a big noise. With superbly equipped rooms, free wi-fi and personalised service “the courtesy car can take you to the station Mr Dobbin”, it ticks all the boxes if you are looking for affordable luxury.

Summer is probably the best time to visit. Montreal can be bitterly cold in winter. That means locals can stay underground when the inevitable winter snow hits. Montreal has 33km of underground city with 1700 boutiques and 200 restaurants.

Air Canada offers the only non-stop direct flights between Sydney and Canada flying daily from Sydney to Vancouver with connections throughout the day to both Toronto and Montreal. See www.aircanada.com.

Hotel Le Germain, 2050 Mansfield Street. Montreal. Metro: Peel. See www.hotelgermain.com. 

Doing London in style

I'm more a jeans and T-shirt kind of guy than a three-piece-suit style of fellow, but fortunately both are made very welcome at The Athenaeum Hotel, one of London’s most prestigious addresses; popular with stars of stage and screen as well as many Australians. 


The Athenaeum offers every possible luxury – particularly if you opt to stay in one of the recently 
refurbished individual apartments, favoured by the likes of movie mogul Steven Spielberg. And 
your apartment is serviced twice a day, just in case you've had a mid-afternoon rock star-style party.
 
There's a comfortable ambience here. The staff don’t look down on ordinary mortals and are polite, helpful and respectful, as you’d expect of a hotel that counts Harrison Ford, Michael Douglas and Sandra Bullock among its regular guests and has been called “Tinseltown on the Thames.” 

There’s a uniformed doorman to help on your arrival and to order taxis on your departure, and the hotel is happy to store your baggage at no extra cost if you’re heading out of town for a couple of days, as I was. There are also porters to assist with your suitcases and you are escorted to your room and shown all its features (a rarity in Australia nowadays).

My apartment (with kitchen and dining area, separate sitting room and an ultra luxe bed that was hard to leave in the morning) featured a complimentary bowl of fruit. There’s an espresso machine and all soft drinks, waters and snacks are complimentary. 

There are thoughtful touches like an iPod dock in the lounge room, a safe, slippers, robes and big fluffy towels. A free newspaper is delivered to rooms each morning (the establishment Daily Telegraph, of course) and there is a full range of satellite TV channels.

Head to the stylish and sophisticated bar for a drink and you are immediately offered complimentary bowls of  green olives and sliced almonds. The green apple martini is excellent (as you’d expect for £15).

While the service is polished, it is not without difficulties with one or two of the Eastern European staff (“You please point” is not acceptable at five-star hotel.) 

That said, there is bar and room service 24 hours a day, free wifi throughout and a business centre with fast broadband and printer 24 hours a day. Each of the apartments has an individual entrance so you don’t have to use the lobby with the hoi polloi but there are no bad rooms – they all have pillow menus, complimentary magazines and mini bar and Bose speakers.

Afternoon teas are hugely popular, but The Athenaeum also has a top-grade restaurant and London’s largest selection of whiskies; 270 and counting. There are free bikes if you’d like to cycle through one of the many nearby Royal parks, and a luxury on-site spa if you feel the need for even more pampering.

Australian dollar rates start from $579 per night, including taxes, breakfasts for two, drinks and snacks and wifi.and free airport transfers for stays of three nights or more.. 

The Athenaeum offers both hotel and apartment accommodation and is beautifully situated on Piccadilly, overlooking Green Park. It is at 116 Piccadilly, London. www.athenaeumhotel.com